Halftime Observations: Bengals' Offense Struggling, Trail Patriots 10-0

The Bengals struggled in the first half...

Sep 8, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson (38) runs with the ball against Cincinnati Bengals safety Geno Stone (22) in the first half at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

CINCINNATI — The Bengals trail the Patriots 10-0 at halftime. Here are our first half observations:

Slow Start

The Bengals struggled in the first quarter. The offense generated just 17 yards of total offense in two possessions. Meanwhile, the Patriots racked up 107 total yards and scored a touchdown on the first play of the second quarter.

Cincinnati went three-and-out on their first three possessions.

On their fourth possession, they drove 58 yards in 13 plays and appeared tie the game when Joe Burrow found Mike Gesicki for a touchdown. Unfortunately for the Bengals, the play was reviewed and the ball hit the ground.

Burrow found Tanner Hudson on the next play in the middle of the field. The veteran tight end stretched the ball out to get it across the goal line. Patriots safety Kyle Dugger hit the ball out of Hudson's hand and Marcus Jones recovered for New England.

The Patriots outgained the Bengals 174-77 in total yards. They have 11 first downs and the Bengals have four. New England also ran 11 more plays than Cincinnati in the first half.

Team Record

Bengals rookie punter Ryan Rehkow set a new team record in the first quarter when he had an 80-yard punt. The ball nearly went out of bounds at the one-yard line, but bounced into the endzone for a touchback.

Rehkow's punt breaks the previous record (75 yards) that was previously held by Kevin Huber and Kyle Larson.

The rook made the HISTORY BOOKS!!

Ryan Rehkow with an 80-YD PUNT, making it the longest punt in Bengals history 👏@r_rehkow24 | 📺: #NEvsCIN on CBS/@paramountplus pic.twitter.com/j0LtgME8Wu

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) September 8, 2024

The Bengals Will Win If...

They need their offense to get going. They've struggled in nearly every area possible. Burrow 10-of-13 for 70 yards, but he hasn't pushed the ball downfield much and the offense is out of sync.

Defensively, they need to find a way to force a turnover or two. Jacoby Brissett hasn't been sacked either, which is a major issue. They need to do a better job of stopping the run (94 yards) and getting pressure on Brissett.

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